The Ghost
by WolfE Cat
Summary: Kate died. What happened to her after that? Not what you think. Has a happy -alive- ending.TATE
1. Prolouge

Kate heard a loud crack and knew that it came from a gunshot.

She also knew that it was for Gibbs.

She launched herself in front of the man she loved like a father, willing herself to be there in time.

She felt the bullet impact and cried out in pain. She landed on the rooftop with a loud thud and heard concerned voices around her.

Tony was panicking.

"Kate, Kate!" he cried, rushing to her side.

She could still feel the pain, and she was glad for it: she knew that it meant she was still alive. Gingerly, she sat up and moaned.

"Kate, are you hit?" Tony asked frantically.

Wincing, she ran her hands over her chest and pulled out the bullet embedded in her vest.

"That is really going to hurt in the morning," she said. Tony started laughing in relief.

She saw Gibbs' face in front of her, a rare smile gracing his features.

"Protection detail's over, Kate." He told her, amusement evident in his tone.

He helped her to her feet. She brushed herself off, literally glad to be alive.

She heard another crack. She whipped around, and nothing was to stop the other bullet from hitting its mark.

**(-:NCIS:-)**

Kate felt strange. She felt light, airy. She stood up.

_Wait, how the hell am I standing up? Didn't I just get shot?_

She took stock of her surroundings and noticed her coworkers huddled in a group around something. She walked towards them.

"Guys!" She called. They didn't hear her. She tried again, louder. Nothing.

She walked right behind them, and noticed everybody was crying. Even Gibbs. Gibbs doesn't cry.

Suddenly, they all parted and Kate was staring at her own face.


	2. Loss of Hope

**I saw Ghost Town yesterday and this idea just kinda popped into my head. **

**It wouldn't leave.**

**Annoying little plot-bunnies.**

**Disclaimer: I is poor. Please no sue!**

**BTW since this does deal with ghosts and what comes after death, please know that I have no ulterior motives when it comes to your faith. I neither set out to offend you nor in any way desecrate your faith. It is just a story, you know?**

**Previously on the ghost: -Listen for background music-**

_**Suddenly, they all parted and Kate was staring at her own face. **_

**And now, for the real start of the story!**

Kate reeled back in shock.

_I'm…I'm … a ghost?_

Her brain refused to accept it. She wasn't supposed to be dead. Yet, there she was- with a hole through her head.

She stared at her body for a very long time. Tony came up and knelt by her.

"I'm so sorry, Kate. I really am. I- I should've saved you. You're not supposed to-to-" His voice broke. Kate felt what was left of her heart break at his words.

"It's not your fault!" She cried, though no one heard her. She longed to comfort him, wrap her arms around him and make him feel better. Forgetting her present state, she came behind him, intending to do just that. She went right through him.

If she could cry, she would be sobbing right now.

She watched as they picked up her body and, unable to do anything else, she followed her family back to the Navy Yard.

**(-: NCIS:-)**

Tony walked down to Abby's lab, tears streaming down his face. No one asked him to, but he knew Gibbs was too busy catching that son-of-a-bitch and McGee didn't have the heart to tell the goth.

Tony wasn't able to face this now, not yet. He wasn't ready. Thus, he was the one to tell Abby.

Abby heard the doors to her lab swoosh open and turned around, a happy smile on her face.

"So, did you find-"

She abruptly stopped at Tony's face. She was by his side in an instant.

"Tony, what's wrong? What's wrong!"

She had both her hands on his shoulders, urging him to tell her the problem.

"She's gone…"

"Who? Who's gone, Tony?!"

"Kate…"

"What? Where is she?"

"She's gone…"

"Tony, where is Kate?" Abby was panicking now.

"Gone…"

"What are you talking about?" Realization hit her like a ton of bricks. "Oh, no! No, no, no, no…"

They held each other for an immeasurable amount of time.

Kate knew, she_ knew _that whoever was up there was cruel and sadistic. How else could they put her through this?

Kate had already been through so much- how could anyone put her through more?

Her mind flashed back to talk she had had with her priest one day during her teenage 'finding-the-truth' years.

"_Father, how can God sit by and do nothing while some of us suffer? Our society is plagued with many evil things; if he has the power to stop it, then why doesn't he?"_

"_Imagine you have a child. Would you let them, oh, say, climb trees?"_

_Kate was confused. "Well, yes."_

"_But they could get hurt. Why would you let them put themselves in danger?"_

"_Well, they'd learn. They'd learn not to fall again." She figured out where he was going. "They would learn from their mistakes."_

"_Exactly. Exactly."_

The thoughts didn't help her current predicament, though. She was still dead. She still wanted to kill Ari. Her heart was still breaking.

Gibbs came in and pulled her from her thoughts. She wholeheartedly threw herself into the details of the case- wanting desperately for at least a brief respite to her thoughts.

She listened attentively, trying to figure out the answer before they did.

It became a sort of game, over time. She would use her ghost powers to try to figure out the murderers before they did.

The one good thing about being a ghost was that she had numerous abilities: she could go places in an instant; she could walk literally into someone and know their thoughts (that's how she figured out the criminals from the good guys); she could converse with the other ghosts. The other thing was that ghosts didn't feel, use the bathroom, eat, or sleep. They would never get tired: Kate could stand for literally ever. Sometimes she watched Gibbs at night, sometimes she watched Abby or McGee sleep.

Most of the time, she stayed at Tony's. Sometime she rotated between them.

She liked watching them sleep. They went through so much on her account, it was nice to see their normally stressed faces calm and serene.

One of the worst things that had happened to her in her entire existence was the explosion. She knew how to stop it. She knew how to save Gibbs. The inability to relay this information, to do nothing and know someone was going to get hurt, was probably the most horrible feeling she had ever had the misfortune to feel.

She waited on tenterhooks for Gibbs to wake up.

When he did, it was almost as if he was a different Gibbs.

She hated the new Gibbs.

She hated his moustache.

She knew it was a mistake for him to move to Mexico. The team could not stand to lose another so fast.

Every now and then, she would check up on him. Reassure herself that he was still okay.

She was happy for a full twelve hours when he returned. That was a new record for her.

Ziva was her replacement. Kate liked Ziva-she thought the Israeli was a very good replacement. Plus, her American Idioms were a source of endless amusement for Kate.

The thing that sucked about being a ghost was the barrier between her and the land of the living. All she could do was watch. All she ever did was watch.

She watched as Ziva shot Ari. That time, she stayed ecstatic for a whole two days.

She watched as the team's personalities changed.

She didn't like it. Sometimes, she wanted to seriously slap Tony, he had become so cruel sometimes.

She could do nothing.

She became frustrated and depressed.

The team slowly rebounded. They started to regain their former prowess.

But for her, life sucked. It was getting worse as her hope faded.

And it didn't look like it was going to get any better.


	3. A Second Chance

Kate was silently ghosting behind Gibb's car. She couldn't really put it any other way- she didn't glide, she didn't really run, she ghosted. It was more like calmly walking at an incredible speed.

The team got to the crime scene and started to process the scene- routine work. It was merely a normal case, a normal day.

Kate's attention was drawn to a figure. He was an elderly man with silver hair, comb-over style; honestly, he looked like a Mr. Rogers shoe-in. All he needed was the sweater vest. He did have a red suit jacket. Close enough.

He also had a look of benevolence that was unlike any Kate had ever seen. She knew that she could trust him- she didn't know how, she just knew.

That wasn't what caught her attention, though. He was a living person- at least, he wasn't a ghost. That she was sure of. Ghosts had a sort of transparency to them: they looked like they were solid, yet could blow away at any time. He definitely wasn't a ghost.

But he could see her. He was _looking right at her. _No non- ghost entity had ever been able to see her, or any other ghost, as far as she knew.

Kate studied him closely as he drew near. Now that she did, she realized that he didn't look totally human. There was something about him that set him apart from the other living beings around her.

Finally, he got to her.

"Caitlin Todd. How wonderful to see you."

"How do you know my name? Who are y-"

He held up his hands, effectively cutting her off.

"Caitlin, Caitlin, all in due time. All your questions will be answered in due time."

"Okay…"

"I will answer one of our questions now, though."

"Just one?"

"For now."

Kate didn't know where to start.

"Um-how old are you?" she blurted. Mentally slapping herself, she shook her head.

The man, for lack of a better term, looked amused.

"Interesting. Well, suffice it to say that I am quite old- much beyond the comprehension of humans. Now, for important matters. Do you trust me?"

Any other person, Kate would have said no in a heartbeat. But, that something inside her that made her want to trust him.

"Yes…" she replied hesitantly.

"Good. Take my hand." He held out his hand. Again hesitant, she put her hand in his.

She felt like she did at the time of her death. Light, airy. She felt like she was flying.

She didn't know how, but suddenly she was standing in a room that was all white except for one side that seemed to be a screen of some sort. It took up the entire wall.

The man turned to look at her.

"Caitlin. My name is John. That's not actually my real name, but you can't pronounce my real one so we'll go with that. Listen closely because I don't have much time. When people die, they turn to ghosts. Ghosts are required to do penance for all the bad deeds they have done in their lifetime by staying on Earth for a certain amount of time, based on how bad they were. Sort of like a prison sentence- but worse, because they can't get out of this one and they are forced to do watch all their loved ones go on and the result of their deeds. Then they move on. Only two people have not followed this pattern- the first because he was too downright evil to move on and the second was in your circumstance."

"But- " Kate tried to interrupt.

"Caitlin, I will explain all in time. Be patient. Listen: you were not supposed to die. Ari was supposed to die earlier that day, car accident, I believe. Any way, he somehow managed to cheat Death- which has happened but a very few times. The point is, it was not your time to go. Now, my boss believes that you should be counted down as an accident- an unfortunate circumstance that could not be avoided. I have watched you suffer for the past two months and cannot stand it anymore. I am not supposed to do this- but I am giving you a second chance. Do you understand, Caitlin?"

Comprehension dawned on her face after a moment's deep thought.

"You mean-"

"Yes, Caitlin. That is exactly what I mean."

"Really?"

"Yes. Now- we need to create a new you. This should be fun- I've never made a fully grown adult before. It has always been babies."

He had a twinkle in his eyes that she wasn't so sure she liked- but she didn't give a damn. She was getting a second chance!

He turned to the screen and it flickered to life. On it came a generic model- feminine shape; white cotton t-shirt and jeans.

By no command that Kate could see, the screen zoomed into the head area.

"What would you like to look like?"

The question caught her off guard. She didn't think that she would be able to choose her appearance. This day just kept getting better and better.

"Um…Dark blond hair…no, darker… almost brown… yeah there." Whenever she said something, it automatically popped up on the screen. If she had been paying attention, this would have really amazed her.

She picked dark green eyes, smallish nose, thin lips, and a defined chin. All in all, rather pretty.

"Now, for the voice." The man said, and immediately a sound box came up. A trial voice came through the hidden speakers.

"Definitely deeper." Kate told the screen. The voice went a little deeper. Kate tweaked until she was satisfied. She realized that she had picked a voice similar to her old one.

It was amazing to her that thoughts of her old self did not stir up sad memories or feelings. Since she had died, she could not think of anything associated with her life and not get the feeling of crying. Now, she was downright elated- that hadn't happened to her for longer than she would like to admit.

Last on the docket for her appearance was her body shape.

"Now, I have already given you the classic great body- fit, slim, very athletic. Anything you would like to add?"

"I would like to be very strong. Not ripped, just strong."

"Done. Anything else?"

"Not that I can think of." Kate answered.

She took one final look at her new body and was quite satisfied.

"Good. I have picked out a good apartment for you- sorry you can't pick, I had a hard enough time acquisitioning this one. There is also a new identity waiting for you- Your new name is Kara Tiels. You have a considerable sum of money that should last you until you can get a job. Good luck, Kara." He started to slowly fade away.

"Wait, wait!" Kate called, but to no avail. He was gone. She realized she wasn't in the room anymore- so where the hell was she?


	4. A New Life

"_Wait, wait!" Kate called, but to no avail. He was gone. She realized she wasn't in the room anymore- so where the hell was she_?

She looked around and took stock of her surroundings. She seemed to be in an apartment of some sort. It was nice- good, comfy furniture, stainless steel appliances, good carpeting, some cool paintings on the walls. She turned around and saw out the window. There was a wonderful view overlooking the city and the Washington Monument.

_Wait, I'm in D.C.! _She was excited. She decided to go check up on her team.

She walked right into the wall. Cliché as it sounds, she had forgotten to use doors.

This brought on a monumental discovery.

_I'm human!_

Those two words brought her unimaginable joy. It was indescribable- the closest she could relate it to was an innocent man who had been condemned to death suddenly set free. But it was even better than that.

She looked at the table by the window and saw that there was something on it. She went to look over at it. There was a wallet there, a set of keys, a social security card, and a sheaf of papers. She looked at the papers first. On top was a statement from a bank, saying she had a new account set up- she would go check that out later; then a rental agreement; basically, everything needed to start a new life. Finally, in the back, there was a brief statement of her history.

_Born in New Jersey- April 17__th__ 1970. Parents Barbara and Richard Tiels. Went to school and graduated with top honors. Went on to become a cop. Parents died in a car accident. Currently living in D.C. _

She quickly committed it to memory. She looked at the social security card and committed that to memory, too.

She checked out the wallet. It had a debit card in it, a credit card, a membership to the YMCA, a library card, and about $100 cash.

She decided to check out the rest of the apartment. There was a small hallway, with a den on one side and a bedroom on the other. The den had some good desk furniture in it and a nice-looking computer. The bedroom already had a nice-sized bed.

The drawers yielded some sheets- though very few. There were only one or two t-shirts and an extra pair of jeans. She would have to go shopping.

She looked at the clock on the bedside table. 3:05. She had enough time to go shopping before the day ended. 

She realized that she didn't have a car. She was right in the heart of downtown, so she could walk to the bank. That was her first stop.

She was surprised to find out the balance. Suffice it to say that it was enough.

She went to the downtown mall next. She bought sufficient clothes to constitute a respectable wardrobe and all the necessary items for everyday life. Dishes, sheets, toiletries, everything.

She went to the Verizon store and bought herself a cell phone. She was never one of those people who had to have the latest and greatest stuff- so her new phone was not really new. More like last year's model that someone forgot to recycle.

Her laptop was another story, though. That needed the latest and greatest stuff. She got the newest model she could find- and she may have tried to find the most expensive one, too, just because she could afford it; but no one will ever know.

She got the iPod shuffle for jogging and several movies, books, games, etc.

Figuring that was enough for one day, she headed home.

She fixed herself dinner, and started to plan.

She planned how to get close to the team.

The strategical part of her brain organized the problems into parts.

**First**: Tony/Gibbs would probably shoot her if she outright claimed to be Kate.

Simple solution to that one: stay away from Tony and Gibbs. This thought caused sadness that had no apparent source. She would analyze that later. It also caused another dilemma: Who could she tell? McGee would call the men in the white coats. Also, he didn't know her well enough so that she could prove her identity to him. She needed someone who knew her really well and would accept the possibility of her existence long enough for her to prove it to them. In a brilliant flash of insight, it came to her. Abby! She needed to go to Abby first.

**Second: **How to get Abby to believe her. This one required a little more thought. What was something that she knew that only Abby knew? She needed some secret. Something that Abby had told her in the strictest confidence.

Think think think………

Think think think………

Think think think………

Aha! Abby's nightmare! Perfect.

**Third:** How to get past security. This one also required a bit of thought. She could say that she was a friend of Abby's bringing her something. The only catch was that if they called Abby, she would not verify Kate's story. Seeing no other option, she decided to do that and hope for the best.

As she finally fell asleep, she thought about what the day would bring.

Tomorrow, she thought. Tomorrow.


	5. The Old Life Revisited

Kate slept like she never had before. Perhaps it was because she had not slept in months, or perhaps it was because coming back from the dead took a lot out of her. Either way, she slept like the proverbial baby. She woke up feeling refreshed, not tired like she remembered even though she woke up at five o'clock. It was a nice start to the day.

Quickly, she dressed, showered, and ate. Packing a bag for the day, she headed out, her stomach full of butterflies. Even though she had never walked to NCIS from this spot before, she still knew exactly how to get there as if she had been walking it for years. She supposed this came from all the time she spent wandering towards headquarters. She could not explain why her work was the one place that she kept returning to, though she supposed it was because that was where her only family was. Her parents are both dead, they were only children and she was an only child.

She tried to keep her thoughts away from the numerous things that could go wrong and on the hopeful side. It did not work, since walking was something that rarely kept one's mind busy.

Walking towards the visitor's entrance and security checkpoint, she slowed her hurried pace and took a few deep, calming breaths.

"Name and identification, please." The guard sounded like he had something better to do and Kate could hear faint talking in the background, followed by cheering. Good, he was watching a game. He would not look too closely at her documents. She took a look at his face and body posture. He was a guy who had expected things out of his life, things that had not come true. He was stuck in this rent-a-cop job with nowhere to go. His nose was really red and pudgy, suggesting a long familiarity with the bottle. This was all good. He would not pay too much attention to the finer details of her persona.

She heard a dinging and saw a light come on in the guard's computer after he logged her name and purpose. Her heart started beating and she felt the adrenaline pulsing through her veins.

"Congratulations, Miss Tiels. You are the lucky visitor number 117. Random Security Checks have been implemented lately and you are one of those who have been chosen."

She really started to worry now. "Well, what does that mean?" She managed to appear calm.

"Oh, nothing too special. We will just call the person you are supposed to come for and double check you are who you should be."

Kate thought fast. "Well, unfortunately, I would really prefer that you did not do that. You see, it is a surprise. Abby had a bad weekend and I figured that I would try to surprise her by showing up and trying to cheer her up."

"Well, I am sorry Miss. I have to check with somebody."

Kate, quickly assessing that she could not run nor could she lie or weasel her way out of this, waved her hand in grudging assent.

The guard picked up his phone and dialed.

"Miss Sciuto, I have a Kara Tiels here to see you. I need to verify that you know her so that she can come on up."

Kate watched the guards face go from begrudging boredom to shock.

"Are you sure, ma'am?"

"Okay, have a nice day."

"Ma'am? Miss Sciuto has never heard of you."

She decided that getting in and being interrogated was her only option- if she ran, she would never be allowed near this place. So, she intentionally stuttered and made excuses, being as obvious as she could without being too obvious.

"You are not who you say you are, Miss. I have to take you upstairs."

She acquiesced and allowed him to lead her upstairs, through the familiar hallways and to the interrogation room.

"Wait here for an agent to come and talk to you."

Kate smiled at his politeness and beating around the bush; she knew he was covering his ass in case this was all a big misunderstanding. Her grin quickly faded as she assessed her current predicament.

Not too long after, a rookie agent came in and sat down in the steel chair across from her.

"What is your name?"

"I am not saying anything until I speak to Jethro Gibbs, Tony DiNozzo, or Timothy McGee." she said in a monotone.

"That is not how it works, ma'am."

"I am not saying anything until I speak to Jethro Gibbs, Tony DiNozzo, or Timothy McGee." She repeated.

They continued this for a while, him asking fruitless questions and her giving the same answer in the same monotone.

After it became clear that no one would get an answer out of her, the agent supervising the interrogation from the other side of the glass walked out towards the bullpen.

"Agent Gibbs?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"We have a woman in custody who was apprehended after a random security check. Normally this would not be in your parameters, but I think that you guys will be interested in this one."

Tony and Ziva shared questioning glances. McGee looked in confusion from his boss to the newcomer.

Gibbs shrugged and pushed past the agent, his team on his heels.

"What is this about, you think?" Tony whispered to Ziva.

"We will find out when we get there, DiNozzo." Gibbs reprimanded from the front, before sipping his ever-present coffee.

The four of them filed in to the cramped observation room.

"I am not saying anything until I speak to Jethro Gibbs, Tony DiNozzo, or Timothy McGee."

"Ma'am, tell me your name!" The agent was frustrated.

"I am not saying anything until I speak to Jethro Gibbs, Tony DiNozzo, or Timothy McGee."

"She looks just like Kate." Tony said, confusion evident on his brow.

The likeness was shocking, and though Gibbs would never admit it, it creeped him out.

They watched the interaction between the people on the other side of the glass, before Gibbs barged out and took over.

Kate could not describe the relief she felt at seeing Gibbs, her play with the rookie was starting to be rather tedious. She chuckled at the fact that Gibbs had coffee, and without warning her chuckling had turned into full-blown laughter. She supposed that the change had to do with the emotions that came to the surface at seeing her familiar fatherly role model.

"What is so funny?" Gibbs said, in his creepy uncle style.

"You're the same old Gibbs- always with a coffee in hand. It is nice to be able to talk to you again."

"You do not know me." He stated.

"Au contraire, I know you quite well."

He banged his fist on the table. "You do not know me!"

"Gibbs, do not try to intimidate me. Let me tell you my story, and then you can do whatever you want."

Gibbs was seriously weirded out here. She looked and acted almost exactly like Kate, and she did not scare. That was new. He sat down and decided to listen, if only to find some answers.

"First of all, I have to say that my story is not going to make any sense and it is going to seem like a weird novel that Abby likes to read. Please, do not interrupt and just hear me out.

"Presently, my name is Kara Tiels. You all know me as Caitlin Todd. Again, please, just hear me out." She peered around Gibbs head and looked right where Tony normally stood. "Please.

"I died almost a year ago, actually a year ago a week from now. A terrorist named Ari Hawasari shot me. The bullet was meant for you, Gibbs. I turned into a ghost. Yes, a real ghost. I know you do not believe in them, Tony, but they are real. I saw you all crowded around my body, and in a blind shock I followed you back home. I must admit, the one thing that I miss most about being a ghost is the fact that I could keep up with a car on foot- even driving as fast as you do, Gibbs." She laughed, though the smile did not quite meet her eyes. "It took me a while to get over the shock of being dead, and to get acclimated to my new ghostly powers. If you guys believe me and we see each other again, remind me to tell you about them sometime. They are really quite fascinating. After a while, I got used to the idea. Still, I followed you guys. That is what I have been doing ever since. I made it a game- I would try to figure the case out before you did. I succeeded often, though I believe the fact that I could see things that people said behind closed doors helped out a lot. Also, one of the cool things that I could do was, whenever I passed through someone, I could hear their thoughts and, in essence, read their minds. I could tell when they were lying to you, Gibbs. That was rather nice. Anyway, I watched you. Sorry if that sounds creepy, but I have no other family. At night, I would watch over you, check in on things if you will. I watched over you guys. I could plant thoughts in your head, since I think that the whole me reading minds thing was slightly two-way. If I saw that you had not locked your door at night, I would try to nag you in my own way to do so. Tony, when you did not set your alarm, I woke you up. Gibbs, I tried to get you to act on your feelings, but apparently that did not work. I tried it with her, too. At the very least, know that she thinks about you at least as much as you think about her." She gave Gibbs a knowing smile as Gibbs actually seemed to be shocked speechless. "Anyway, I tried to help out. Everything was going fine until a couple days ago when this old man came up to me. He told me that he was sorry I ended like I did, that I was not supposed to go, etc. He said that I had suffered enough pain and that he had been working to get me a second chance. Apparently, he had to do so illegally, because whatever rules those people have do not allow for second chances. Point is, he made it so that I was able to return as a human, with my memories of being a ghost and of my previous life intact. He also, only he knows how, made me a new identity with legal documents and everything. After a day of acclimation, I came here in hopes that someone would believe me. That is why I tried to see Abby, I knew that she would believe me, or at least that I had the best chance with her."

Gibbs studied Kate for a minute, then wordlessly exited and went into observation.

For once, he did not know what to say. Not that he was talkative all the time, but he was never speechless. He always could say something, but he chose not to. Ziva saved him.

"We cannot take her seriously."

"No, I guess we can't." McGee stated.

They heard the woman on the other side of the glass.

"I would like to talk to Tony, please."

All eyes in the room turned to the dark blond agent.

He shrugged his shoulders and disappeared from the dark room, reappearing on the other side of the glass.

"What do you want?" was what he was going to say, but the words did not leave his mouth. As soon as he entered the room, her face broke out in such an expression of relief and joy that he could not force himself to be cross with her.

"Tony, I am so glad to see you."

"Then you are not Kate." He stated with a complete lack of emotion.

She cracked a smile, and he felt himself smiling in return despite his wishes. Her face turned serious.

"Tony, I am so sorry. I saw what I did to you and if I could sleep at the time, it would have kept me up. As it was, it was almost worse because I had endless time to think about it. I saw how it tore you apart, and I am so sorry."

"Is there any way I can prove to you what I am?"

"I do not think so. 'Cause, you see, ghosts don't exist, and what you are saying is impossible."

What little life and spark that was left in her eyes left almost immediately.

"I am sorry you feel that way." Her tone was distant, cold. She turned her head away.

It hurt Tony more than he was expecting. He could not tell you why, but it cut him to the bone to see her pained.

"Kate, I am sorry…" He reached out his hand as he said the words almost subconsciously. Realizing his mistake as her head shot up, he froze like a deer in headlights. He quickly brought his hand back like he was burned. They stared at each other in shock before he broke the stare and left the room. He did not go to the observation room, though. He walked down the orange hallway, walking very fast with no real place as his destination. He went back to the bullpen and sat at his desk, his head in his hands.

It took him a while to realize that silent tears were streaming down his cheeks. When he did, he let his feet pick him up and carry him to Abby, since she would know what to do.

He entered the lab to the usual blaring music. He looked around for the Gothic scientist, and saw her reading a book behind her desk. She looked up at him, her jovial expression gone as soon as she saw his face. Pressing the button on the stereo, she rushed out and gave her friend and co-worker a hug.

"Tony, what is wrong?"

He said nothing for a while, and she just let him cry. Eventually, he pulled away and recounted what was going on upstairs, the woman's story, and what he had said to her. Abby listened and comforted- she had had enough of these experiences after Kate's death that she knew better than to speak.

After he was finished, she hugged him again.

"Thanks Abby, it helps a lot to have someone to listen."

"Of course, Tony. Anytime. I would like to see this woman and then I can tell you what I think."

Tony nodded and they went upstairs to interrogation. Abby gasped at entering observation.

"You were right, tony. She looks just like Kate."

While Tony was gone, Gibbs had tried to get her to slip up, and Kara/Kate had been cooperative.

After observing them for a while, Abby stated: "Wow, she even acts like Kate."

"I know, right?"Tony said. It is seriously weird. "Talking to her is just like Kate used to be."

Ziva felt left out and was angry about it. She did believe in ghosts, but it was completely impossible for this to be happening.

"Guys, come on!" she exclaimed. "This is not possible!"

Tony looked at her. "I agree with you one hundred percent. Normally, we would chuck her in the loony bin. But you never met Kate. If you had, you would find this, well, rather unsettling."

He turned to Abby. "What do you think?"

"Well, either this is a very good sham, and I mean incredibly good, or she is telling the truth. Unfortunately I have to put my vote on sham because the other option is impossible. People do not come back from the dead. It would be totally hinky if they could, though."

Tony nodded his head in reluctant assent, and wondered what they were going to do with her.


	6. The Mental Hospital

**A/N: A belated sorry goes out for the length of time in between last updates. I will not make excuses, but sadly RL got in the way. Anyway, here is the next chapter in my fic! Enjoy!**

**BTW This is for GottaLoveMEgan for getting my butt into gear.**

"We need to send her for psychiatric evaluation." The director stated to the group huddled around the small conference table. "That much is for certain. After that, we can assess what to do with her."

McGee, Ziva, Tony, Gibbs, and the director were all at the impromptu meeting. They had spent the last few minutes bringing the director up to speed with the details concerning the woman without an identity. The redheaded woman looked at Gibbs and DiNozzo, noticing how much this seemed to affect them. Even the normally unshakeable Gibbs was downcast, thoughtful and indescribably sad. Tony was even worse: he had obviously been crying and he was snapping at everyone.

It was almost as bad as when she had first died.

The group nodded their heads in assent as McGee quietly asked: "Should it be done by a Navy psychiatrist or a street doctor?"

The director mulled this thought over for a moment before responding.

Before she could, Abby piped up "If we do it by a Navy guy she will possibly open up more, since she is allegedly navy."

Tony wondered why it was Abby doing the most of the denouncing- he would have thought that she would welcome the idea more than the others. Hell, he was almost considering it. Everything was so backwards today.

"I agree. It will be done immediately." The director said, looking at one of the agents on her protective detail who nodded and disappeared into her office to tell Cynthia.

They all nodded absentmindedly, all thinking their own thoughts, all lost in their own worlds. After a minute, Tony stood up and wordlessly walked out of the office and to his desk. The others followed suit as an agent took the woman with an uncertain identity to the on base psychiatrist.

Kate was not surprised that they took her to the psychiatrist, in fact, she was expecting it.

"Good afternoon, Miss. Have a seat."

She complied, stonily silent.

"Now, let's start with an easy question. What is your name?" The bland doctor said in a faint British accent.

"Caitlin Todd, but most people call me Kate." Kate replied, abandoning all pretenses.

"Now, now." The doctor said as if he was talking to a child. "That is impossible, my dear. Caitlin Todd is dead. People do not come back from the dead."

"I thought so too, before it happened to me."

"Why do you think that you are Caitlin?"

"Because I am."

"Why don't you tell me this story? I am sure it is fascinating."

Kate sighed and relayed what she had told the others, knowing full well that it was a waste of time.

Going into this appointment, Kate knew that it would not go well, and that they would likely admit her to a mental hospital.

His questions became increasingly condescending, and her answers became increasingly frustrated. Needless to say, she was right about being sent to a mental hospital.

She knew that if she stuck to her story she would be admitted. She stuck to it anyway, because she knew that if she abandoned it, she would never get the chance to get it back. The people she loved as her only family would never allow her back in if she gave up the story. Plus, it felt like betrayal. It was a betrayal of all those who she had loved and who she had hurt when she died, betrayal of the man who risked his life to help her, and betrayal of herself and her true nature.

That was her true story, and she was not going to give it and her life up for the easy road.

She was taken to Bethesda naval hospital for a CT scan in order to determine if any physical abnormalities were present- tumor, other growth, abnormal shapes or sizes of any of her cortexes, etc. When she was given the all clear, she was moved to Memorial Psychiatric hospital about 5 miles outside of D.C. for a 90-day threat evaluation. Basically, they were deciding if she were fit to be walking free.

She settled down for a long, possibly never-ending wait.

At the very least, she found the place quite comical at times, and when humor did not work, she profiled the patients and staff while trying to increase her prowess in the field.

They gave her drugs, or at least, they tried to. She was smart enough to not actually take them, smart enough to know that they would only impair her judgment. She was also smart enough to know how not to take them.

Every day, she was taken to a shrink who patronized her and tried to get her to abandon her story.

She had decided in the first psych evaluation that there was no reasoning with these people- therefore she decided not to try. She became silent, never talking, only observing. She only opened her mouth when absolutely necessary, and never did any sound come out.

There was one exception to this rule, and it was when Tony came to visit.

The first time he came was one of the best moments in Kate's life.

"Kara?" The orderly in shrubs said. She did not respond. She never responded.

"You have a visitor."

Her head shot up and the orderly lead her to a visitation room.

In came the man who she thought about the most often, the one she most wanted to see.

"Umm, so they tell me you aren't talking anymore, they do not even know if you can respond-"

"Tony!" She cried, running up to him and giving him a big hug.

"Wait, what? They told me you had turned into a vegetable."

"Oh, I only do that because when I talk no one listens. They keep patronizing me, and it was getting on my nerves."

"Oh." He mumbled, and to his surprise, a huge wave of relief washed through his body as a smile spread across his face.

"So, how you been doing?"

"I am good, well as good as you can be stuck in this place."

"It cannot be worse than at work with Gibbs on a bad day."

"Hell yes it can! First of all, Gibbs actually liked me, it was only you and McGee he was mean to, second, it was at least semi-interesting there, and third, I could _go home."_

"Yeah, I guess so. So, I do not know if I believe you yet, and do not think that if you give me the right answer to these questions I will, but I think it will help me decide."

"Alright, go ahead."

"First, what is Gibbs drink of choice?"

She smiled. He was trying to trick her.

"Well, that depends on his mood and location. At home, when he is working incessantly on that boat of his, he likes bourbon. Everywhere else he cannot be seen without a coffee in hand."

"What is our M. E.'s name and what is his assistant's name?"

"His real name is Dr. Mallard but everyone calls him Ducky. When I first started working for NCIS, his assistant was named Gerald, but now he left and a kid named Palmer took his place. By the way, do you know what Palmer has been doing with Agent Lee at work? It is very unprofessional."

"What are you talking about?"

"They jump each other like rabbits anytime they see each other."

"Really?"

"Yes. Tony, I knew that you were unobservant, but honestly."

"Yeah, well, I make it up in… other areas."

"God, Tony! Can you get your mind out of the gutter for a minute?"

He grinned. "Alright, moving on. What is McGee's main talent?"

"Computers. Him and Abby."

"What is Abby's hippo's name and what does it do?"

"She has a farting hippo named Bart."

"What is our director's name?"

She gave him the glare that he knew so well. "Jennifer Shepard. Honestly, Tony. Throw something hard in there. A better question would be: 'What is going on between Gibbs and the Director?'"

He looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Really, Tony?! You hadn't noticed anything at all?"

"I repeat: what are you talking about?"

"Gibbs used to be in love with the director. Some debate whether or not the past tense is appropriate."

"What?!"

She laughed. "Seriously? And you call yourself an agent."

He glared at her.

They went on in this way, him firing questions about the job, him, and her personal life- as she answered everything without batting an eye.

Eventually, he started to just talk about the job with her- to reminisce if you will. They settled into easy conversation.

Eventually, he had to go, with promises of coming again.

He came often, two to three times a week. Eventually, he came pretty much every day that he was not working on a case. They would just talk, banter even. He would tell her about the current case they were working on and she would provide insight if she could.

They became the best of friends, or, you could say that they rekindled their friendship, and everything was going along swimmingly.

Until the end of the 90-day evaluation period came to an end and the director came to check up on her.

**(-:NCIS:-)**

"Hello, this is Director Shepard. I am here to do a check on the progress of Kara Tiels."

The orderly looked up to the glass behind which he was working and smiled.

"Yes ma'am. Right this way."

He led her to the head doctor's office and she waited in front of the large oak desk. She was reminded of the time she had been scolded by the professor for turning in substandard work.

She did not wait long before a balding man in mid fifties bustled in. He was the very picture of a professor, three-piece suit and all.

"Good morning, Director."

"Yes, Doctor Harris. You too."

"I must admit that I was not expecting you here in person, ma'am. It is rare, even when we do get a patient from NCIS for the director herself to come."

"Call it personal curiosity. How is Miss Tiels doing?"

"Well, she is a very odd case. It is not uncommon for people to be claiming that they are someone back from the dead, but first off, they generally chose to emulate a more famous individual, such as Abraham Lincoln or Amelia Earhart, and second, she knows every single detail of Miss Todd's life. Some things in Miss Todd's report that were not made public she knows, and furthermore, she can clearly describe agent training to the letter. Her case is very baffling.

"Also, she is very calm and grounded. She has not had a single fit or breakdown; she seems to be normal, aside from her claims. I would not deem her in any way a threat to herself or others and I am recommending that she be released."

"One other thing you should be aware of, Director, is that she is strangely silent. Not that silence is strange in this place, but she is responsive; she makes a conscious choice not to talk. She never talks to any of the staff or patients. She would remain silent at all times were it not for that young man that comes to visit. It is very lucky that he does, for we would not know anything otherwise."

The director sat at attention.

"She has had visitors?"

"It is singular, director. She has had one visitor who keeps coming back."

"Who is he?"

"Let me see, I have his name in the records, over here." He got up and moved to the massive filing cabinets.

"You know, they seem to be the best of friends. And, what is more, he calls her Kate. He seems to believe her story. Ah yes, here we are." He pulled out a file. "The young man is a Tony DiNozzo, from Washington D.C."

She took a deep breath. "Thank you Doctor. Will you be releasing her soon?"

"Yes, tomorrow."

"Thank you very much."

She stood up and shook his hand before leaving.

_Jethro is not going to like this._

**Later that day…**

Tony was, again, thinking about Kate. He did not know when he first starting of her as Kate, not 'that woman' or Kara or the like. He liked their visits, liked their easy friendship. He could not wait until she got out tomorrow. They could spend time together outside of the drab, white hallways and general _hospitalness _of that place.

The unmistakably angry voice of his boss shook him out of his reverie.

"DiNozzo!"

"Yes boss?"

"What the hell were you thinking?!"

"Uhh… in what, boss?"

Gibbs was standing over his desk, furious.

"You went to visit that woman!"

Tony realized what this was about and stood up to meet his boss, resolve in his eyes.

"Yes I did." He replied calmly.

"How the hell could you do that?"

"Why is it such a bad thing?" He crossed his arms in defiance.

"Because she is not Kate." He said venomously.

"I believe she is." Tony replied with equal venom.

Gibbs looked taken aback for a moment before his face turned into what Tony realized was pre-head slap. Tony saw it coming and did something unprecedented. He blocked Gibbs and grabbed his arm.

"It has no relationship to my work life so you have _no _right to interfere. What I do when I am out of this building is none of your goddamn business." He let go of Gibbs and sat back down, returning to work.

Their fight had drawn the attention of most of the people in the bullpen, who now all stood around shocked.

Gibbs was fuming above Tony's desk. After a few minutes, Tony looked up and said in a mock helpful voice:

"Was there anything else?"

Gibbs stared at him for a minute before storming upstairs to the director's office.

Tony looked smugly at him before looking back down at his paperwork.

Ziva and McGee stared at him in shock.

"Hey! Probie Sandwich! Get to work!"

They were broken out of their reverie, and McGee hurried off, mumbling to himself. He was undoubtedly going to see Abby. Ziva dutifully got back to paperwork.

**(-: NCIS :-)**

Jenny smiled at Gibbs as he stormed into her office. Before he could say anything, she cut him off.

"Tony has a point, you know."

"What?!"

"You really cannot control what they do outside of work."

"I am just trying to protect him! That woman is not Kate and when he realizes that, he will be heartbroken."

"But what if it is Kate?"

"What?" he repeated.

"Isn't there the tiniest possibility that it is Kate?"

"No." he said flatly.

"I'm just saying you should open yourself up to possibilities."

They stood there in awkward silence.

Finally, Gibbs broke the silence. "Um, Jen, do, um, do you ever… think about me?"

His voice was so quiet she had to strain to hear him, which was made worse by the fact that he would not look up from his shoes.

"All the time, Jethro. I think about you all the time."

"In what way?" He was still staring at his shoes.

"In many ways. But most of the time, it is the way you want it to be." It was her turn to whisper.

He finally looked at her.

"Why, Jen?"

He did not have to elaborate; she knew what he was talking about.

She sighed, a deep melancholy sigh. "I was young and stupid and scared."

He silently asked her to explain.

"I was afraid that if I kept seeing you, my professional life would suffer. I was scared of what I was feeling, so I did the cowardly thing and ran."

He stared at her for a long moment.

"I think about you too."

Her heart leapt, cliché as it sounds.

They stared at each other for an indefinite amount of time, neither wanting to make the first move. Finally Jenny stood up and then Jethro was kissing her. It felt so right, so good.

They broke apart and Jenny smiled.

Life is good.


	7. Freedom

**A/N Howdy, y'all! I just spent, well, way too long in Branson, MO- a little town 10 miles north of the old confederacy. I was visiting my dad. Joy. I would like to say that that is why I haven't updated, but that is not the whole truth. I'm just lazy. I would ask you to forgive me, but there isn't any plausible reason for the egregious wait. I apologize sincerely. **

**BTW Feel free to send me death threats or the like to get me to update again. Seriously. They help and inspire. **

Tony was counting down the hours until the clock read 6 o'clock, getting very little work done in the process. He did this almost every day, for various reasons. A while ago, before Kate reappeared, it was because of some date or the prospect of getting laid. For the last couple of months, it was because he could go see his old partner.

But today- today was different.

Because today was the day he could pick Kate up.

He had been waiting for that moment for weeks. Everyday, faithfully he had gone to the hospital and talked to her, laughed with her, and played games with her, all the while wanting nothing more than to do so where the walls weren't whitewashed, the people didn't wear gowns, and she could go home. Strangely enough, there was nothing romantic about it. He did not want to go on a date- she was his best friend. That was unprecedented for him- he had never had a girl friend, it had always been girlfriend. There was a subtle difference that he had not understood, or even cared to understand, before. However, he had never felt this way about, well, anyone. He had never wanted to see someone so much, never wanted to spend time with someone so much.

Another good thing about this day was that Gibbs was in an unheard of good mood. He had forgiven Tony without a second thought, and there were only smiles all around.

To be honest, it rather freaked Tony out. However, never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he gladly accepted the pardon and the freedom that went along with it, offering up his own smiles. Most of all he was just glad that this day was not ruined, and that he could enjoy it without the cloud called Gibbs to rain on his parade.

Tony thought that Kate was right about the Director and Gibbs- that was the only thing that could explain the bizarre bipolar-ness of the day in relation to the usually surly and gruff agent.

Perhaps the most confused people in the bullpen were McGee and Ziva; Ziva because she hadn't been on the job long enough to be accepted into the inner circles of the team in such a way that the other members confided in her, and, whilst McGee knew why Tony was in such a good mood, he was just clueless enough romantically not to connect the dots leading from the now silver-haired agent to his former probie.

As the clock struck 6, the only person moving faster than Tony was Gibbs, the two headed in opposite directions- Tony to the stairs (they were faster than an elevator) and Gibbs up to the mezzanine that held the office of Jen. Looking over his shoulder, Tony smiled and wished the older man luck as his silver head disappeared behind the equally silver metal door.

Tony pealed out of the garage, driving like Ziva or Gibbs (which, incidentally, he had vowed never to do). He made it to the Hospital in record time, only about five minutes or so.

Kate looked amused, yet incredibly relieved when he burst through the doors at exactly 6:11.

"Sorry I'm late!"

"Tony, you couldn't have gotten here any earlier if you could teleport."

"Oh, that would be so cool! Like in that movie Jumper!"

"Um… Yeah. Sure. Whatever. Can we go now?"

His face broke into a soft smile. It was her favorite smile, because it made her see a different side of him, a sweet side- like he removed the mask and this was what remained.

"Of course, Katie."

For once, she did not mind the horrible nickname. She recognized it for what it was: not a taunt, but a term of endearment.

"Thank God! I need to see color and normal people, without mental breakdowns, sickness, or those stupid goddamn pills!"

His smile vanished as he signed the paperwork, lost in the depths of thought.

They exited the building, Kate enjoying every minute of her newfound freedom. However, what she enjoyed most was the man standing next to her- their easy friendship, their even easier banter, and especially his smile. He couldn't stop smiling- though, then again, neither could she.

"Where to first, Kate?"

"Food! Real food. I haven't had a good meal in over a year, not since I died. I didn't eat anything before coming to NCIS, just a granola bar, and hospital food leaves much to be desired."

"Alright. Where to, m'lady?" He asked, opening her door and bowing his head. She laughed, saying: "At least chivalry isn't dead. Let's go to get… pizza! At a nice mom and pop shop down by where I used to live. Oh, they made the best pizza!" She moaned.

"Cool- pizza sounds great. Show me the way."

She guided him back to the D.C. suburbs, with brownstone houses and apartment buildings and hole in the wall shops. After making a few wrong turns, they finally arrived at a store that did not look any different than the others. Tony wasn't sure what to make of the place, but Kate was practically drooling so he thought it had to be at least decent. If something could make the health nut drool over grease on a plate, it must be good.

And, oh, it was. It was the best pizza Tony had ever tasted- and pizza was practically his life. They ate a whole large between the two of them, and the large was rather generous.

Kate loved everything about the meal- the food and the company. There was a nagging voice that said she had never enjoyed a meal with any of her _female _friends quite this much, but she silenced it quickly.

They were so stuffed that they could barely move when they finished, but it was the best meal either of them had had in a very long time- bar none.

Finally, after what seemed like eternity sitting in comfortable talkative banter, mostly consisting of making fun of the mental asylum, Kate looked at her watch.

"Holy Crap! It's 9 o'clock!"

Tony looked unfazed. "Really?"

"Yeah. Wow, time flies, doesn't it?"

"Yeah…"

"Maybe we should go…"

He sat there a moment, lost in thought, before shaking his head and agreeing with her.

They paid and went out to the car, their banter gone. Silence reigned, though it was slightly awkward silence.

"Here we are." Tony announced, pulling up to her apartment. "I'll walk you in because I have an umbrella and you don't." It had started to rain while they were driving.

He walked with her up to her stoop as she fumbled for her keys.

"Ah-ha!" She exclaimed in triumph after finding the ring. Raising her head, she found a notice on her door:

"You have been suspended for lack of payment.

Please report to the manager with back payment immediately,

during the hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. no more than 30 days after this notice has been issued.

Failure to do so will result in eviction.

Sincerely, managerial staff."

Kate muttered a string of expletives that would have made a sailor proud.

"What's the matter, Kate?" Tony asked, kindly and without any laughter in his voice. Kate thought that he would be the first to laugh at her. She puzzled over this for a moment before ripping off the notice and handing it to him.

"What the hell am I going to do?" She asked of no one in particular.

"Well…" Tony started, so quietly that she almost didn't hear him, "you could come stay… with me… if you want."

"Really?" Kate asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I mean, I have a guest bedroom and an extra toothbrush, if you want."

"Ummm, yeah, that'd, that would be great, Tony." Kate said hesitantly.

He smiled, not a smile of mocking or flirting, but of genuine happiness.

"Good. Let's go." They walked back to the car and Tony drove off.

"Umm, Tony?" Kate started.

"Yes, Kate?"

"Why do you have so much stuff for guests?"

"My niece sometimes pops in unexpectedly. So does my brother, and some of my old frat brothers. I find it best to be prepared."

"Boy Scout?"

He held up two fingers in a scout's honor pose.

"Never figured you for one, Tony."

They lapsed into silence for another minute or two.

"Why were you afraid to ask?" Tony queried.

"I didn't want it to be because of, well, other things." It wasn't said, but both knew she was talking about his dates.

"I don't invite girls to my place." He stated after a while.

Kate was genuinely shocked. "Really?"

"Yeah. It never felt… right."

Kate was curious but did not pry.

"Here we are." He pulled up into a nice brownstone apartment complex.

She expected his apartment to be completely messy, but it was surprisingly nice and tidy. It wasn't very homey, though, it didn't look very lived in. There were only a few pictures on the wall, and to Kate's surprise she found that most of them were of the team. He had one picture of a non-team member, and that was of an incredibly cute little girl.

"Guest bedroom's this way." Tony said, holding his arms out to point the way. She followed him into a nice bedroom, sparsely furnished with a small chest of drawers and a massive queen bed that took up most of the rest of the room. She found that there was a pair of sweats and a t-shirt laid out on the bed for her.

"If you'll change into those, I can wash your clothes and they will be clean for the morning."

"Yeah, of course. Thanks, Tony." He smiled and left, shutting the door behind him. She changed quickly, balling up her clothes and taking them out to the kitchen where there was a small room with a washer/ dryer. She quickly set the wash going before hearing Tony behind her.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" He asked.

Kate looked at her watch. It wasn't that much after nine. "Sure."

His face lit up. "Cool! I got this really cool one, _Avatar, _which is so awesome. You'll love it."

She chuckled at his excitement while agreeing with him, though she had no idea what Avatar was, in any way, shape or form. For all she knew it could be a horror slash-fest or a sappy romance.

He had a _huge _TV, with all the latest stuff. He tried to explain it to her as he set it up, but it was beyond her, so she just sat back and relaxed.

He had two couches forming an L shape. Each of them laid on one, their heads where the corner was. He talked through the entire movie, babbling about this special effect, that actor. He really seemed to know everything.

The combination of the gentle talking, the dark surroundings and the food from before effectively lulled Kate to sleep in very little time.

Right as Jake was being surrounded by the mystical flowers of the eywa, Tony heard soft snores and looked over at his partner. It saddened him to realize that she wasn't his partner anymore, though he was infinitely glad that she was alive, as opposed to the alternative.

Tenderly, he rose and tip-toed to the blankets, bringing one back and placing it over her sleeping form. He grabbed one for himself before lying back down to watch the rest of the movie.

Carefully, as the end credits rolled, he shook his sleeping friend awake, guiding her half-awake form to the guest room, pulled off her shoes and tucked in the covers.

"Good night, Katie." He murmured, kissing her head.

He stumbled into his room, overcome by a wave of tiredness, and snuggled in himself.


	8. Housewarming

**A/N: No, you are in the same universe. Yes, I updated twice in one week. **

**Yay, summer! **

**Okay, a synopsis of the story so far: **

**Prologue: Kate becomes a ghost.**

**Chapter 1 (Loss of Hope): Kate becomes acquainted with her ghost self.**

**Chapter 2 (A Second Chance): Kate meets a man who gives her a second chance at living.**

**Chapter 3 (A New Life): Kate lives and plots.**

**Chapter 4 (The Old Life Revisited): Kate visits NCIS.**

**Chapter 5 (The Mental Hospital): Kate goes to a mental hospital.**

**Chapter 6 (Freedom): Kate and Tony enjoy her freedom.**

**Now, on with chapter 7! Yay! **

Kate woke up in an unfamiliar bed, unsure about how she got there. Her first instinct was to panic and reach for her gun. She didn't find that either, and went into full panic mode. She searched the nightstand and found a small pistol, the kind normally worn in an ankle holster. After checking the chamber had a round, she crept down the hallway.

She saw a shadow and leapt out behind the corner, yelling "Freeze!"

Luckily, she always looked before she shot, because the shadow belonged to her partner.

"Jesus, Kate! You could've shot me!"

Kate felt very guilty. "Sorry, Tony. I didn't recognize the room, or the apartment. I guess when I went into crisis mode, I didn't think. Sorry."

"It's fine. I know what you mean." Both were breathing hard from the adrenaline.

"Well," Tony started, "I was making pancakes. You want some?"

She now noticed the delectable smell, and how hungry she was.

"Yeah. Smells great, Tony."

He smiled her favorite smile. "It'll be ready in a few minutes."

It turned out that Tony lied. He didn't make pancakes- he made a feast, consisting of bacon, eggs, fruit, ham, sausage, toast, and the best pancakes Kate had ever tasted.

"Tony, if I keep hanging out with you, I am going to get fat."

"Don't worry about it, Kate. You look gorgeous."

Both people froze, as Tony's words sunk in- Kate with her fork halfway to her mouth and Tony in the middle of chewing.

'Did he really just say that?' Kate thought.

'Please don't let her make a big deal of that' Tony pleaded to whoever was listening.

"Thank you, Tony." Kate said after a moment, and the breakfast resumed like someone had pressed the play button on a DVD player.

"Wow, Tony. That was goooooooood." Kate remarked after the food was gone. "I did _not _know you could cook."

"I am a man of many talents, Katie."

She raised an eyebrow but otherwise said nothing.

"So, for today" the Italian started, "I was thinking that we could get you squared away. You know, get the apartment settled, maybe grocery shopping, or if you need a driver's license, or whatever."

"You would really spend a day housewarming with me?"

Some part of her swelled with hope.

Tony froze inwardly, not wanting to think about his reasoning (or lack thereof), before playing it off.

"Well, yeah. You're my best friend."

"Thanks, Tony."

She stubbornly ignored the little sigh of disappointment that came from the back of her mind. Eventually, she thought, I have really got to analyze that little voice, if only to silence it.

"You're welcome. Afterwards, maybe we could go to a movie. There is this really cool flick out."

"Yeah, sure."

They both took showers and got dressed before exiting the apartment and heading to the bank.

Unfortunately, there was an unforeseen circumstance. Kate needed ID.

Which was in her wallet.

Which was in the apartment.

Joy.

The pair went back to the other side of the city and Kate's apartment to try and plead with the manager.

"So, you see, sir, I need to get my wallet so that I can get the money to pay you."

The manager, a middle-aged man with a handlebar moustache and a rapidly receding hairline, studied them a moment before nodding his head and grabbing his keys. Relief flooded through Kate as she got up to follow him.

About halfway to the apartment, the manager asked: "So, where were you? My logs for gate entry show that you have not been back here in over three months, which has many explanations," He glanced at Tony, "but I have never heard of someone who can go that long without their wallet."

"I was in a mental hospital."

To his credit, the manager did not stop walking, just glanced at Kate with his eyebrow raised. "May I inquire as to why?"

"She came back from the dead." Tony supplied.

This time the manager froze in his tracks, staring in half-shock, half- 'are you totally out of your mind?', before shaking his head and holding up his hand.

"Never mind. I'm sorry I asked."

Kate and Tony exchanged conspiratorial glances behind the poor man's back.

Kate rushed into the apartment, grabbing her wallet, before rushing back out.

"Thank you, sir." She said and hurried off.

"Be back with my money by five or your stuff will be out on the street!" The man called to her receding back.

She looked over her shoulder and nodded to show that she had heard before disappearing around the corner.

"Well, that went well." Tony commented back in the car.

"Oh my God, did you see the look on that poor man's face? I thought he was going to have a heart attack!"

They both collapsed into a fit of giggles.

Tony started the car and headed into the bank. Finally, after an hour or so and many weird looks, Kate had free reign of her apartment again.

"This is nice." Tony commented as he looked around. "Stark, though. Barren."

"Well, yeah, Tony." Kate said in her 'Captain Obvious' tone. "I have spent about 12 hours in this apartment, overall. Decorating was not my first priority."

"Oh." They lapsed into silence as Kate relaxed on the couch and Tony explored.

"Hey, Kate." Tony called, reentering the living room and sitting down. "I've been thinking."

"Ominous words." Kate chuckled. Opening her eyes, though, she could see that he was serious, so she paid attention.

"'Bout what?"

"You should get a name change."

"Not now. I want to wait until the world sees me as Kate, not Kara. I do not want it to be like a… persuasion tool."

"Oh."

She put her hands over his.

"Thanks, Tony. That means a lot to me."

He smiled. "Anytime, Katie."

They stayed like that for a while.

"I was thinking about something else."

"Okay, shoot."

"You should come to work again."

"I would love to, Tony, but I don't think that's possible."

"Why not?"

"No one believes me, but you."

"Doesn't matter. If they see you in action, they'll know."

"There aren't any spots open."

"Pacci's spot hasn't been filled."

"Oh. Well, I don't know. I will think about it, ok?"

"Yeah. Thanks." He looked slightly dejected.

"Oh, what the hell. I'll apply, I just don't know if they'll let me, but I will apply."

"Great!" Tony's face lit up.

"How about food?"

"Yeah!" Kate laughed. Sometimes, Tony reminded her of an overgrown five-year-old.

"Well, we need to go out for something. I just have water in my fridge."

"Fine by me. How about Chinese?"

"Sounds good."

"There is this amazing ice cream place next to there that we could go to afterwards."

Kate got up to get her coat. "Sure."

They were halfway through ice cream when Tony's phone rang. Kate eavesdropped in on his side of the conversation.

"Hey, Boss."

"Now? It's Saturday!"

"Okay, Boss. I'll be there in ten."

"What? Oh, hi, Abby."

"What? Why?"

"Um, sure, I guess."

"Uh, bye."

He hung up.

"You have a case?" Kate asked.

"Yeah. I have to head into work. You too."

"Me?"

"Yeah. You've been demanded by Abby."

"Oh. How did she know that you were with me?"

"She didn't. She asked me to pick you up."

"Oh."

They paid and left the small shop.

In the elevator, Kate started to fidget.

"Wazzamatter, Kate?" Tony asked, playfully.

"Nothing." Tony heard the anxiety in her voice and hit the stop.

"Tell me." He commanded, gently.

"What are they going to think of me?"

"Kate, look at me." He put his hands on her shoulders. She turned her head up to him. "You are the same person who they knew before; you've just been gone for a while. You're an amazing person. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. They'll know that. Just give it time."

She nodded. Satisfied, Tony let the elevator run again.

The steel doors opened. Kate held her head high, buoyed by Tony's words- despite all the glances.

"Hello, Gibbs. McGee." Kate nodded at Gibbs before giving a smile to McGee.

She walked over to her old desk. "Hi, Ziva. I'm Kate, or Kara, I guess. But I prefer Kate. It's nice to finally meet you in person. I mean, I know everything about you, but I haven't actually, physically, met you." She extended her hand.

Ziva shook it. "Nice to meet you, too. What do you mean, you know everything about me?"

"Um, well, I did some research on you- to make sure you're good enough for my team."

Ziva looked suspiciously at her, before breaking into a smile. "I like you. You find that I am satisfactory, no?"

"Very much so."

Kate smiled at Ziva before turning to the bullpen in general. "I am going down to see what Abby wants. Good luck with the case."

She went in the direction of the Goth's lab.

"Abby?" The call was futile, because, as usual, Abby was listening to her music, Abby style (meaning: crank it up to 11).

She went over to the stereo and turned it down.

"Abby?" She was about to call, but the scientist beat her to it.

"Who turned off my music?" She called angrily, rounding the corner and stopping short as she saw Kate.

"Oh."

"Hi, Abby. How's it going?"

"You know, 99% of the population says that and 99% of the time, they really don't care."

"Yes, that's true, but I care now. What's the matter?" Abby was pacing back and forth furiously, Caf-Pow! in hand.

"You! I don't know what to believe! You look like Kate, talk like Kate, but what you are saying is IMPOSSIBLE!"

"Yeah, I know." She sighed, the stopped Abby by putting her hands on the younger woman's shoulders. "Listen, I know how hard this must be. If the roles were reversed, I definitely would not believe you." She stepped back. "All I can ask is that you entertain the idea."

"Alright." After a second in thought, she said: "Okay. I am going to ask you some questions, and you giving me the right answers will help. I am not saying that this will completely convince me, though."

Kate chuckled.

"What?" Abby asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, it's just that that is almost exactly what Tony said."

Abby went through a very similar round of questions to Tony's, which eventually led into reminiscing. By the time the team got back almost two hours later, the pair was laughing like the old friends they were.

Gibbs walked in with bags of evidence in one hand and a fresh Caf-Pow! in the other. Tony was on his heels.

"Abby, I need this processed."

Abby jumped to attention. "Oooh! Right away!"

Gibbs walked out. "Still no 'please', 'thank you' or 'goodbye' from Gibbs, I see." Kate commented.

"Nope. Well, duty calls! I will talk to you later." She said, turning to Kate.

"Great! I can't wait!"

"Hey, that rhymes!" Tony called. Kate jumped- she thought that he had left with Gibbs.

"Jesus, Tony! Don't scare me like that!"

"Like what? I was just standing here."

"Well, make your presence more known next time."

"Uhh, excuse me. Is it not you who is always telling me to be quiet?"

"Guys!" Abby yelled. "I need to work!" They both had the decency to look at least a little ashamed.

"Come on, Kate. Let's go see Ducky."

They bounded off down the stairs together, as Abby shook her head and turned her music on.

"Ducky?" Kate called as the steel autopsy doors slid shut.

"Yes?" The aging man answered, pulling off his gloves.

"I suppose we haven't technically met before, depending on how you see it. I am… well, my name is under dispute at the moment."

"Ah, so you must be the infamous woman who claims to be our dear departed Caitlin."

"Yes, Ducky, that would be me. I hope to convince you someday that I don't just claim, I am, but we'll see."

"I must say, my dear boy," he said, turning to Tony, "there is a striking resemblance. I would swear that they were at least sisters, if not twins."

"That's right."

"You know, when I was a young man, I once dated two girls at the same time."

Kate looked good-humoredly surprised. "I'm shocked, Ducky."

"Yes, well, it was only once. But, as it turned out, they were twins. Fraternal, of course. I would have known if they were identical." He chuckled.

"You know, this is an amazing story, really, it is, really, but I have to go- Gibbs. See you later!" Tony exited in his usual Tony-style.

"Ah, yes, well," Ducky turned back to Kate, "that was quite a beating I took after they found out. Never did it again." He winced.

"Fascinating. What did they do to you?"

"It was a very well thought out plan…"

**Okay, y'all know the drill- **

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